Russian warship fires warning shots at a UK-flagged yacht on ‘dangerous course’ in the English Channel
(CNN) — A Russian warship in the English Channel fired warning shots several hundred yards in front of UK-flagged yacht that appeared to be sailing on a collision course with it on Tuesday, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
The yacht did not report any injuries or damage and is continuing its journey.
The ministry statement said the crew of a Russian frigate saw the civilian yacht, Bright Future, and said it was “on a dangerous course” that would bring it into “close proximity” with the warship.
After several unanswered attempts to contact the yacht’s crew via radio, the vessel stayed its course and the Russian crew launched signal flares to get the vessel’s attention, according to the defense ministry.
The Russian ministry said that the sailboat continued its “dangerous approach” and once it was close to 150 meters away, the Russian frigate commander “decided to open warning fire along the vessel’s course using the ship’s small arms.” The yacht then changed course away from the Russian ship, the ministry said.
“The crew of the frigate ‘Admiral Grigorovich’ acted in strict accordance with international maritime regulations and took all necessary measures to prevent an incident,” Russia’s defense ministry said.
A UK Defense Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday that the warning shots were not aimed at the UK vessel but were “an attempt to prevent a possible collision.” The incident took place 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters.
The movements of Russian warships as they pass through the English Channel, the busiest shipping area in the world, are routinely tracked and monitored by UK authorities. On Tuesday, the Grigorovich was being shadowed by HMS Mersey, a Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel operating in the area at the time of the incident, the spokesperson said.
According to a UK defense source the Russian vessel was signaling to other vessels that it was drifting rather than being maneuvered under power, which the source said my have made the Russian ship feel more vulnerable, leading to the warning shots. The shots fired are believed to be single rounds rather than automatic fire, the source added.
The incident comes two days after the UK military, for the first time, intercepted an oil tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet in the English Channel, according to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Officials are not linking the two events.
The-CNN-Wire
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